author

Samuel Cobb

1675–1713

A witty English poet and schoolmaster from the turn of the 18th century, he is best remembered for lively verse, literary criticism, and a popular translation of Chaucer. His work mixes learning with an easy, playful style that helped keep his name alive long after his early death.

1 Audiobook

Discourse on Criticism and of Poetry

Discourse on Criticism and of Poetry

by Samuel Cobb

About the author

Samuel Cobb was an English poet, critic, and schoolmaster, baptized in 1675 and dead by 1713. He was born in London, was orphaned young, studied at Christ's Hospital, and then went on to Trinity College, Cambridge, earning his B.A. in 1698 and M.A. in 1702.

After Cambridge, he returned to Christ's Hospital as a teacher and stayed there for the rest of his life. His writing shows strong classical learning, but it was also known for its light, ironic tone and good humor. Among his best-known works are Poetae Britannici (1700), a survey of earlier English poetry, and Discourse on Criticism and of Poetry (1707).

Cobb also helped shape later readers' sense of older literature through translation. His version of Chaucer's The Miller's Tale was especially popular in the 18th century, and he also worked with John Ozell and Nicholas Rowe on a translation of Lucian. No clear portrait was confirmed from the sources reviewed, so no author image is included.